So much more that you could know
by carbontetrachloride
Summary: DL. Love makes you want to learn more. It changes everything. I can't do summaries. lol
1. Prologue

**Prologue **

Her hands trembled as she jammed the key in and pulled open her apartment door. Hurriedly, she shed herself of the suit she was wearing and took a frantic shower. It didn't matter that the water was freezing or that she was shaking uncontrollably like a leaf in the wind.

Lindsay jumped out of the shower, wrapped herself in a bathrobe and rushed into her bedroom to pull on a loose long-sleeved shirt which was lying on the bed and warm flannel pants.

_She was still feeling cold._

After sitting on her bed and staring at the wall for five minutes, the dam in her finally broke and she sobbed. First with her face in her hands, before burying herself between sheets and spilling tears all over her pillowcase.

* * *

Reviews are welcome. :) 

Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own the TV show.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

She bolted upright when her cell phone rang. Squinting in discomfort due to the sunlight filtering through into the room, Lindsay picked up the phone and answered it.

"Hello?" She swallowed the thick glob of mucus that had gathered in her throat from crying too hard the night before.

"Good morning, Montana! We have a scene just a few streets from your place so Mac wants me to pick you up."

"Okay, Danny. Give me fifteen minutes." She spoke, her voice still a little hoarse.

"Sure. See ya."

She muttered a half-hearted goodbye and hung up, swinging her legs off the side of the bed. Lindsay hoped to hell that Danny would not irritate her incessantly today, or she might just break down completely and kill him.

* * *

Danny knocked on the apartment door and smirked when Lindsay let him in.

"You ready, Montana?" He teased her by waggling his eyebrows and unabashedly eyeing her up and down. The playful shove or annoyed yell he was expecting her to give never came and all he received was a low 'yeah'. Caught in a mixture of surprise and concern, Danny looked for the first time that morning at her face.

Lindsay looked tired and depressed. Her usually bright chocolate eyes looked sorrowful and sunken in. He moved a step closer, forcing her to look into his eyes.

"Lindsay, is everything alright?"

She sighed heavily and replied, "Yeah, I'm just tired."

He knew she was lying, but it wasn't his place to probe. Looking at her pale complexion and puffy eyes, Danny felt a twinge of pain in his heart and placed a hand on her shoulder. He didn't miss that she had flinched. Feeling oddly confused that he actually cared, he asked, "Want a hug?"

Lindsay ignored her body's desire to sink into the warmth he could provide and shook her head. Pushing past him gently, she moved towards the door, "Let's just go."

* * *

They arrived at the crime scene after a silent car drive. Lindsay hopped out of the vehicle as though she needed desperately to get away from Danny, who was still pondering the reason of his concern. He barely knew the woman.

"Lindsay, Danny," Mac greeted the two CSIs, "34 year old Angela Cox was murdered two days ago while her roommate was away in Wisconsin visiting family. Here is the case file." He passed the file to Danny. "I'll leave you two here to search about while I go back to the lab and talk to the M.E. Come back as soon as you can."

Both nodded, picked up their kits and entered the apartment, ready to process the scene. Lindsay busied herself, snapping photos of the sticky pool of blood in the kitchen as well as anything suspicious she could find. Danny scrutinized the place for any weapons, occasionally finding himself glancing at Lindsay whenever she was near him.

"Danny." She called from the victim's bedroom. Taking a deep breath, she took out a pair of tweezers and picked up the few loose strands of wiry hair on the bed sheet.

Danny entered the room and stood beside his co-worker. He stared at the flowery bed sheet which was matted in blood, "She was probably raped and injured here."

He felt Lindsay shudder slightly at his words and turned to face her. She looked at him with a frown, "He could've stabbed her multiple times in the kitchen."

"But how did she get from here to the kitchen? He must've dragged her."

Danny noted that Lindsay's eyes clouded and she blinked them clear. "Yeah, he must've. We should check the floor, he could've smeared it. Or something."

He nodded and took out the dark light torch. They found a few stains and Lindsay swabbed the samples and bagged them. Searching the apartment another time just in case they missed anything, both eventually concluded that was all they could find.

"I'm ready to go if you are." Danny said, slinging the bag of articles over his shoulder. She nodded and picked up both their trace kits, and following his lead, exited the apartment.

* * *

A/N: I know it's starting all a little too slowly. Give it time to develop. :)  



	3. Chapter Two

Thank you for reviewing!

* * *

**Chapter Two **

**_I'm amazed  
How you found your way  
To my heart  
Drove through the dark  
It's so strange how life changes_  
**

Danny paused outside the office Lindsay was in. He peered through the glass panel and saw her chewing a pen and staring out of the window. Licking his lip, Danny pushed the door open.

She heard the door swing open and jumped, knocking the pen against her teeth. _Damn._

"Sorry." He apologized, and placed a cup of coffee before her, and sat on the table.

"It's okay. Thanks." Lindsay held the cup with both hands, enjoying the warmth. She took a small sip and tilted her head at Danny's direction, "What brings you here?"

"I've sent the strands of hair to DNA, and seeing that we're both free, I was just gonna check on you. You look like you didn't sleep well last night. And you didn't kick or scream when I called you Montana tells me," He bent down and stared into her eyes, "that something is up."

She couldn't hide the smile growing on her face, "What a gentleman you are," and stuck out her tongue.

"Have you eaten at all?"

"No."

He hopped off the table and pulled her up, "C'mon. Let's grab lunch and talk, okay?"

Lindsay stood up and allowed him to drag her towards the elevator, "Okay." Maybe the day could turn out well after all.

He ordered pasta for both of them and leaned back into his chair, "So. Tell me what's wrong."

Lindsay swirled her straw and watched as the ice cubes jiggled in the glass, "It's complicated. Can we talk about something else?"

"Lindsay, I know I behave like a jerk. But I am not insensitive. Okay? And I can't stand having my partner act like a depressed old lady." He attempted to slide a joke across the concerned tone his voice was taking.

She glared at him from above her glass of water and said indignantly, "I do not act like a depressed old lady. I am just tired and…"

"And what, Montana?"

A waitress slid two plates of spaghetti onto the table and placed the cutlery next to the dishes.

"You do know if you keep pressing into this issue I'll get out of here and walk back to the lab by myself." She feigned anger to avoid answering. The truth was she didn't want to go back alone, but she couldn't explain anything without feeling like she'd given a part of her soul away. Picking up the fork, she stabbed it into her plate and twirled the noodles around.

Danny chuckled at her empty threat, "See? Depressed old woman."

"Don't be a jerk, Danny. I'm not in the mood." Somehow her voice didn't come out the way she wanted it to, it sounded like it came from another person, gentle, caressing yet teasing; more loving than angry.

Danny, professionally trained to pick up details, didn't fail to hear the tone she had used. Smirking, he raised his hands up in mock surrender.

He dug in and stared occasionally at the woman sitting opposite him. It was strange. When she first came as a replacement for Aiden, Danny felt resent that his old partner had to leave. He recalled feeling a little anger at both Mac and Aiden, he for firing her; she for being so stupid. He called Lindsay 'Montana' to piss her off, hoping that if he treated her badly enough she would leave the city and Aiden could come back, or he would get to work with a more familiar face. Obviously, that wasn't working well. Perhaps it had completely backfired. Now he enjoyed her presence so much that her silence was eating at him. Mentally, he imagined slapping himself so he could awake from this insane dream (or was it a nightmare?) that got him so convinced he was falling for Lindsay.

Chewing on a meatball, he heard her give a small sigh. Looking up, he observed her sucking up a strand of spaghetti before letting out another tiny sigh. "Stop it."

"What?" Lindsay raised her head and met Danny's eyes.

"Stop sighing." _Damn, she has beautiful eyes._

She rolled her eyes and popped the slice of tomato lying on her plate into her mouth, "Can't help it."

Danny smirked and called for the check. "I'm paying," his voice took a tone of finality that made Lindsay roll her eyes some more and zip up her purse. "C'mon." He steered Lindsay out of the small restaurants by the shoulders.

* * *

She was fiddling with the hem of her jacket when Danny's voice startled her, "You can tell me anything, you know?" 

Regaining her composure, she looked in his direction and said, "No, I do not."

"Ouch." He muttered, _that hurt_.

"I'm sorry, Danny. I don't deny that you can be sweet and kind, but sometimes you're just all obnoxious and horrid. I want to believe I can trust you, I really do. But regarding this whole…issue… no one has yet to gain my trust. It's not something I share openly."

Danny could not help but smile a little at her words, "I want to believe you can trust me too."

* * *

They returned to the lab and hardly saw each other until the shift was over. Striding into the locker room, Danny caught sight of Lindsay zipping up her bag. 

"Hey."

She turned around and smiled at him, "Hi." Picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder, she smiled again and said, "Bye."

"Montana," Danny gave into temptation, "Wanna join me for dinner?"

Lindsay felt a little shocked. Two meals in a span of less than 12 hours? She looked at Danny for a while, "I…uh…don't know. I think I need some time alone. Maybe another time?"

"Yeah, sure. Rest well."

"Uhm.. Thanks. See you."

Their eyes lingered on each other for a second before both turned away and proceeded doing their own things. Danny concentrated on spinning the combination of his locker while Lindsay zipped up her jacket, muttered a goodbye under her breath and left the room. When she was out of earshot, Danny heaved a gigantic sigh and rested his head against the locker. He was still unsure if he had intended to ask her out. It was all just too confusing.

He found himself pondering thoughts he should never even think about entertaining.

_If only I could find…_

Danny slammed his locker shut and jumped a little when he caught sight of Lindsay's cell phone lying on the bench. A sideway smile grew on his face and he pocketed it, feeling a sense of exhilaration he hadn't felt in ages.

_An excuse to see her one more time tonight._

_

* * *

_

Lindsay took a long, warm shower when she got back to her apartment. She hadn't gotten used to calling it home yet. Walking past the small book shelf, something compelled her to pull out the photo album jammed in between two thick volumes of forensic journals.

Perhaps it was the exhaustion affecting her, or maybe because her birthday was fast approaching, but she sank into the couch and flipped open the album feeling a little homesick. Lindsay smiled at the sight of her 16 year old self riding on a gray pony she had loved so much, but the tears came when she reached the middle of the album, where the pictures of her old workplace back in Montana were.

She paused at one of those placed towards the end of her collection and sighed miserably. Her two best friends and her were sitting on the stiff metal chairs near the lobby of the Montana lab, and they were smiling so radiantly at the camera. Unable to control herself, a big sob escaped her throat and she reached for the box of tissues on the table. Lindsay regretted allowing herself to look at those photographs. She was about to get up when there was a knock on the door.

Wiping the tears fiercely away she walked towards the door and looked through the peephole.

"What do you want?" She asked, yanking the door open.

Danny smirked, "Must you be so rude?"

She glared at him when he invited himself in. "You left your cell phone in the locker room."

"Oh. Thanks. You could've called, you know?" Lindsay snatched her phone away before closing the door behind her. Her fingers grazed his outstretched palm and she recoiled a little from the tingly feeling.

"Nah, it's more fun this way. Why are you crying?"

"No, I'm not!" She denied it all a little too quickly.

"I'm a CSI, Montana. Besides your cheeks are still wet," He lifted his hand to wipe the sheen of tears away, "And there's used tissues all over your couch."

Lindsay noticed his hand was still on her cheek and removed it gently, "Thank you for returning my phone, you don't have to stay."

Danny stared at her with a small frown.

* * *

A/N: This chapter is too sappy. Any ideas? 


	4. Chapter Three

A/N: Finally some real action, cuz I'm sick of thinking of gap fillers.**

* * *

Chapter Three  
**_**When the evening shadows and the stars appear  
And there is no one to dry your tears  
I could hold you for a million years  
To make you feel my love**_

Lindsay sighed when she saw Danny staring at her as if he didn't understand a word she had said, "Danny, you don't have to stay." She found herself caught in a dilemma, part of her wanted to scream 'piss off and go away' the other wanted to be caught in his strong _strong_ arms. It was enervating.

"But what if I said I wanted to?"

"Danny… Fine, fine, suit yourself." She muttered in exasperation, she so did not need this.

Danny smirked, "Have you eaten?"

"Why?" She shook her head.

He flipped open his cell phone, winked at her and ordered a pizza. "Whatever," Lindsay said and went into the bathroom to clean up, there was no need for Danny to grill her some more about the reason for her tears.

Making himself comfortable, Danny gathered the used tissues and was about to toss them into the bin when he caught sight of the photo album lying wide open. He noted a splotch of tears on the page and focused on the picture. Lindsay was seated in the middle with a blonde woman on her left and a man on her right. She looked so happy and care free he could have easily mistaken her as another person. A weird emotion washed over him when he noticed that the man in the picture had his arms around Lindsay and she was leaning slightly into him.

_I am not jealous!_ Danny spoke to himself and raked his fingers through his hair. _I am not! _But he found himself feeling annoyed that she was smiling so WIDELY in someone else's arms._  
_

He heard the lock of the bathroom door click open and hurriedly shut the album and placed it on the table. Realizing he still had all her dirty tissues in his hand Danny got up and went to the kitchen in search of a bin.

"Danny?"

"Yeah?"

Lindsay walked into the kitchen and stood behind him, crossing her arms as he bent down to discard of her litter, "Did you not get my hint? Why are you insisting on staying?"

He stood up a little too quickly when he heard her voice so close to him and nearly knocked her over. Spinning around and grabbing her shoulders so they both remained upright with their feet on the floor, he answered, "I don't know. You tell me."

"What!" She shrieked, "What kind of answer was that?"

"I don't know. Can't I just be…in the mood to stay?"

"Danny, you're a man, you don't get PMS so you don't get the 'in the mood' card." She smiled and shook her head, "You're being weird, y'know?"

Danny laughed, "Maybe I want to know you better? You're not exactly an open book."

"Neither are you," She retorted pointedly, "so what are we going to do now?"

Danny's eyes widened when he heard her question and his mind wandered into an abyss of ideas. Very bad ideas. He gulped and mentally filed away those ideas. "Um, watch TV?"

"Okay. You pick the channel, I'll get the drinks."

Danny moved over to the TV set, finally realizing that he had fallen hard for Lindsay Monroe.

Lindsay busied herself in the kitchen, taking her time to pull out two mugs and ice. She was going to need all the distraction she could find or she would find herself getting carried away in her _very hot_ co-worker's eyes. It didn't mean anything that she enjoyed the little touches and nudges they were sharing, did it? She almost craved having his skin in contact with hers.

* * *

_**You look like an angel  
I wanna touch you  
Come a little closer  
There's not much that we can do  
Oh unless you  
Come a little closer**_

The pizza arrived shortly and Danny pushed Lindsay into the couch firmly and went to pay for the delivery.

"I'm not penniless, Danny."

"I know, but seeing as this is your apartment, and we're watching your TV and drinking your drinks, it's only fair I paid for the pizza, right?"

Lindsay chuckled and picked up a slice of pizza, "Whatever."

Both glued their eyes to the television set, pretending that they were engrossed in what Oprah had to say about new dry cleaning machines. Moments later, Danny was stuffed, Lindsay having reached that point way before him. She picked up the empty box and drink cans and moved to throw them away in the kitchen. Danny switched off the TV, Oprah's voice was getting a little irritating seeing that he hadn't been listening to any part of the show since it had started.

When Lindsay returned to the living room, Danny had stretched himself out on the couch. She stood over him, "What now, Messer?"

"We talk." He slid back into a sitting position and pulled her next to him.

"What about?"

"Why are you here?"

"This is my apartment."

"No, not that. Why are you in New York? Why did you leave small town USA for the big noisy city?"

"Why? Wishing I never came, is that it?" Lindsay asked hotly. What a great way to be rejected before a relationship had even started. _Wait, I want a relationship with Danny Messer?_

Danny raised his eyebrow, "On the contrary, no. I'm considering myself blessed that you stepped into my life."

"Oh." She blushed slightly, letting out a small breath of relief.

"So, why did you move?"

"It's too long a story, Danny."

Boy, he loved the way his name sounded when she said it. "I have time to spare. You're not getting out of this one."

"You just want to know why I'm sad and weepy."

"Okay, that also," Danny said and took her hand, "Lindsay, I promise I won't make stupid comments."

"Before I answer your questions, I have one for you." She squeezed his hand gently.

"Sure, anything."

"What's changed? What happened to the irritate Montana till she feels like clawing your eyes out plan? Why are you hounding me for answers? Why are you trying to be all around me all of a sudden? What's going on?"

"That sure wasn't one question." He scratched his head subconsciously, his stomach constricting with nervousness.

"Just tell me." She pleaded. Lindsay frowned when she realized Danny started to look flustered and his hand grew clammy.

Danny swallowed, "You sure you want to know."

"Yes. I want to know why you want to know."

He covered her lips with his and drank her last word in. Moaning softly, Lindsay parted her lips to give him more access before opening her eyes in surprise when she realized what she was doing. The shock made her clamp her mouth shut. Danny released his grip on her and looked straight at her, trying to figure out if he had affected her in the least bit. What he saw secretly pleased him.

Lindsay stared at Danny for two seconds, she wished she hadn't stopped kissing back. Her chest heaving slightly, her lips were swollen and throbbing, while her eyes were shining brightly.

"What was that?" She choked, unable to come up with anything more creative.

"I think. I, uh.. I think I've fallen for you." A rosy tint highlighted his cheeks and his blue eyes never seemed more dazzling to her.

She searched his eyes trying to see if he was just toying with her, "You're not… just saying it, are you?"

Danny shook his head and pulled her towards him, "No. I've never felt anything quite like this before." He whispered lowly and looked into her eyes. If only he could even begin to describe the way she made him feel. Danny relaxed when the doubt in her eyes cleared. "I want to give us a shot."

"Oh, Danny, me too," Lindsay sighed dreamily and leaned into him, nuzzling his neck gently. Danny wrapped his arms around her and smiled when she snuggled deeper against his side. Lindsay raised her head to look into Danny's eyes and let out a soft giggle, "What does Mac think about office relationships?"

"I guess we'll just have to find out." He said, voice thick with accent, and grazed his lips against hers. Lindsay captured his lips and deepened the kiss, her eyelashes brushing against his nose and cheek. A single thought ran through her mind.

_If I could choose what heaven feels like, this would be it, though I'd be weak in the knees the whole time.

* * *

_A/N: wahahahahahhaha. crazy laughter I wish I was there. Well, maybe I was, but only in my head.


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four **

**The way we're both distracted  
It makes it hard to talk  
This ice is easily broken  
If we trust in what we got**

Danny pulled away first, his fingers still caught in her hair. "I've answered your questions, Linds. And I meant it with all my heart. Now please tell me what's been bothering you lately."

Their foreheads met and Danny nudged her nose with his slightly.

"I don't know how to start."

"Anywhere." He spoke softly into her ear.

"Yesterday evening I met a man."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No, Danny, I'm not seeing him. Don't need to sound all jealous and upset," She laughed despite the seriousness of the conversation and pulled away from his embrace. "Try not to interrupt me, okay? If you do, I don't think I can start again." Lindsay drew her legs up and hugged herself, curling into a ball next to Danny.

"He grabbed me by the shoulders when I was on the way home. I whipped around and he called me 'cutie'."

Danny's body tensed up.

"And then he crashed his lips against mine and ran away. I know this guy, he was the reason I left Montana. But anyway, I called my old workplace and they should be working on getting him arrested. You're probably wondering why he did what he did, and why I called Montana instead of NYPD."

Danny nodded.

"See, I was working on this rape case with two of my partners, Katie and Jason. Katie was like a sister to me, and Jason, we were dating. Anyway, we were at the crime scene alone scouring the place for DNA trails when this guy appeared out of no where. I believe he killed and raped the girl, because he is such a cold hearted son of a bitch." Lindsay's voice raised a notch higher, causing Danny to sit up straighter.

"He grabbed Katie and threw her against a wall, she was knocked out almost straightaway and there was a gash on her head. I hid behind a door and sent a text message to my supervisor, telling him that there was a lunatic attacking us. The crazy man then pulled out a gun when Jason tried to move towards him. And me? What did I do? I was a friggin' coward!" She spat the last few words and tears prickled in her eyes. Danny, knowing that he wasn't supposed to say anything, just put an arm around her heaving shoulders.

"I just stood behind the damn door and watched as he picked up the pocket knife Katie had left lying on the floor and started running lines along her body. Katie woke up, I suppose because of the pain, and started screaming. Jason ran towards the asshole wanting to stop him but got a bullet hole through his stomach. Katie screamed even louder when she saw the bullet go through Jason and in return received big gashes across her thigh."

Danny pulled her into a tight embrace and she spoke against his chest.

"Something in me finally snapped and I took out my gun and shot at him. But my hand was trembling so badly I missed him completely, hitting a cupboard instead. Katie was still shrieking in pain, fear and confusion and the bastard shot her in the middle and ran out of the house. After he fled I was holding on to two bloody half-dead bodies of my best friends. Jason died first; his last words were 'I love you two.' Until now I still don't know if he meant he loved me too, or he loved both Katie and I. But that's not the point." She sniffled and continued.

"I started crying and hugging Katie, who had become so cold she was shaking. She left this world with her body in my arms. The guy was never caught and I never saw him again until yesterday." She choked on her tears and was almost gasping for air.

"He looked me in the eye and actually had the nerve to say, "What a cutie," before running out of the house. I couldn't go back to the lab, there was nothing there but painful memories and empty spaces. My supervisor understood and I sent out resumes to a few crime labs across the country. New York was the first to reply and I was desperate to leave all the history behind me and get a fresh start, so I came. I witnessed two of the closest people I had die in my arms. I could feel their blood and pain every time I set foot into the office, or every time I looked at something that reminded me of them. I left wanting to leave all this behind me, guess fate had another plan, huh?" She whispered into him, feeling safer than she had ever felt ever since she arrived in New York.

"I thought I had reached a point of closure, where I could forget that my high school sweetheart and my best friend died so painfully. Busying myself for the first few weeks helped me file away those memories. But when I saw him, it all came back to me. God, Danny, it just sucks."

Lindsay traced her fingers along the sleeve of his shirt absent mindedly.

He wiped more tears off her face and didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry," was all he could come out with. Wrapping her arms around his middle and burying her head in his chest, Lindsay inhaled the wonderful Danny scent and sighed, "It's not your fault."

They stayed that way for some time before Lindsay broke the silence. She removed her head and stared at the button on his shirt, not daring to look into his eyes, "You're the first, you know?"

"I know, and I appreciate it," He used his finger to tilt her face towards his, "Your secret's safe with me, and I'm not leaving anytime soon."

She gave him a watery smile, trembling from the intense effusion of emotions enveloping them both.

"You have the most beautiful brown eyes I've ever seen." Danny whispered.

Lindsay grinned through the tears, "Flatterer," and closed the gap between them.

**If you can't see the love in my eyes  
If you can't hear my heart beating fast  
If you can't feel the electricity  
Flying between you and me  
Then maybe, you should come a little closer

* * *

**R&R. 3


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five **

**Last night I couldn't sleep  
I found it hard to even breathe  
Oh I'm in trouble deep...with you**

Danny left Lindsay's apartment just before midnight. She was significantly happier and he was content that she had reciprocated his affection for her. He fell asleep with a big smile dreaming of the feel of her lips against his skin.

**Today I stayed in bed  
Can't shake these voices in my head  
I've fallen off the edge...with you**

Lindsay pulled the covers over her shoulders and found herself waiting eagerly for the next morning. She never knew giving into something she had denied for so long could feel so good. It was strange when Danny was around it was easier to shelve all the memories away.

* * *

"Hey," He greeted when Lindsay pulled open the door to her apartment and stepped aside to let him in.

She smiled, "I'm not complaining, but what are you doing here?"

"I figured I'd give you a lift so you don't have to take the subway." Danny smirked and pressed his lips against her forehead, "Slept well?"

"Great. You?" She rested her arms on his shoulders and clasped her hands behind his neck.

Danny laughed and pulled her closer, "Had the best dream ever."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow and leaned in, mocking disbelief.

"Yeah. Of this," He kissed her on the lips. It started off gentle but soon became increasingly passionate until Lindsay pulled away and laughed, "We're gonna be late for work."

Danny whined before letting go of her. She grabbed her coat and bag before linking arms with him. They left the apartment feeling completely at ease with each other.

* * *

"Remember, no touching." Lindsay waggled her index finger at him before kissing him on the cheek. They had agreed to keep their relationship away from the prying eyes of their co-workers.

Danny mocked sorrow but gave her his classic smirk which used to drive Lindsay nuts with irritation. Both stepped out of the car and made their way towards the elevator heading up to the labs. They collided into Stella who as usual, looked perky and perfectly coiffed.

"Hello," she greeted and sipped on the cup of coffee she was holding.

"Hi," Danny and Lindsay greeted back in unison, then turned to look at each other and started laughing.

Stella raised an eyebrow, "You two look happy today."

"Yup" "Uh-huh" The doors to the elevator opened and they stepped in after Stella, deliberately standing on either side of the taller woman.

"What happened? Solved a case?"

"Kinda," Danny replied and winked at Lindsay from behind Stella's hair.

"But not quite," Lindsay continued, smiling slightly.

Stella frowned, "Happy and cryptic. Well, I gotta go solve a case." The elevator bing-ed and all three moved out.

"See you." Danny said airily, waving his fingers as if to rush Stella down the hallway.

Stella didn't miss that Lindsay kicked his shin as soon as she turned around.

* * *

Lindsay shut the door to the lab, "Okay, okay. We have to focus and solve the Angela Cox case."

"Sure thing, I can do that." Danny said, more to convince himself than Lindsay.

She snapped a pair of gloves on and reached into the bag of items they had taken from the crime scene and went through them. Five pairs of shoes, part of the bloodied blanket, more bloodied clothes, pillowcases, kitchen knives. She grabbed the shoes and moved to another corner, preparing the materials she would need to get the prints.

Danny stared at the report that the lab techs down at DNA had compiled. _Strange._ He exited the lab in a hurry, coat flying behind him. Looking up, Lindsay shrugged, and bent down to work on the prints again.

After industriously rolling ink onto the soles of the shoes and pressing them onto paper for twenty minutes and getting no matches, Lindsay picked up the blood smeared shoe print she had photographed the day before. She took a closer look at the print and gasped when she realized what she was looking at.

He chose the exact moment to rush into the lab.

Lindsay looked at him, eyes still wide in shock and mouth slightly parted.

"You won't believe what Hawkes just told me."

"It's a woman." She interrupted him.

"Wait…how did you know?"

She took the blown up photograph and walked over to him. "Look at this, the shoe print belongs to a woman. Even if a man has feet that small, which is difficult to believe, we're talking size 6 to 7 here, the cutting is too narrow."

Danny nodded and picked up the DNA report lying on the table and flipped the pages rapidly, "Double X chromosomes. And Hawkes said he could not find any trace of semen. The bruises on the vic's arms are tiny and were inflicted most likely by a woman, or a man with very delicate fingers."

"I think we need a little chat with the roommate."

"It's not her, she was definitely in Wisconsin those two days. I've checked her traveling schedule with customs already."

"Maybe it's not her, but we still have to find out if Angela had any enemies or if anyone could have a motive behind killing her."

Danny nodded, "I'll get her down for questioning."

Lindsay lifted the brown address book she had found at the crime scene, "Personnel check."

"Call me if you find anything."

Lindsay smiled, ran her free hand along his arm and headed out in search of a free computer.

* * *

She sighed and threw the pen down on the table. She had gone through the whole address book and had found nothing significant. All she could do was copy down the names of all the females in the book.

"Hey." Her cell phone rang, it was Danny.

"I've got the roommate down in one of the questioning rooms."

"Okay, got it. I'm coming."

She rushed into the elevator and punched the button that would bring her down to the questioning rooms. As she stepped out, Lindsay saw Danny crossing his arms and leaning against a room door. He seemed deep in thought.

"Danny." She called out, waving the pieces of paper where she had recorded all the names and anything vaguely suspicious.

Danny looked up and smiled slightly before receiving the papers. "You ready?"

She nodded in affirmation and stepped into the room after him.

This is ridiculous. Lindsay thought to herself. She was getting tired of running down the lists of suspects, if you could even call them suspects, with Holly, the roommate. Holly was obviously in shock, and obviously not the murderer. Thankfully there were only ten more names to go. Lindsay refrained herself from yawning.

"Zanetta Bradley."

"Oh, yes!" Holly's eyes widened as soon as Danny read the name off the list.

Lindsay perked up and sat up straight.

"Zanetta is a world class bitch. She was Angela's college classmate and is still upset that her boyfriend dumped her for Angela."

She wanted to roll her eyes, Holly obviously wasn't the most righteous person around. But she couldn't deny the information was worth knowing.

"The last thing I heard," Holly's voice lowered as if she was telling a secret, "Zanetta joined an occult or something. Maybe she just went completely psycho and decided to kill Angela. I mean, it's just totally like her. Zan's always doing crazy stuff like painting her fingernails purple and yellow. God!"

Lindsay sighed. This girl was annoying.

"Right, uh, thank you very much." She interrupted before Holly could launch into a monologue of how sunhats did not go with evening gowns. "We'll investigate further into Zanetta and contact you if we need your help."

"Oh, sure. Anything for Angela, y'know? As much as I pity her being dead and all, but it's just so irritating because I have to go find a new roommate? And who is gonna wanna share an apartment where somebody died in."

Danny got up hurriedly from his seat and pushed the door open. "Well, Holly, have a good day."

"You too! Hey, are you free tonight? Wanna go for a drink?" She batted her eyelashes.

Danny shook his head, "Nope, not free. I've got a date."

"Awww, that's too bad. See ya around." Holly almost skipped down the aisle. It was hard to believe her best friend had died.

"Got a date, huh? With who?" Lindsay joked as she and Danny left the room and headed for the elevator.

"Some good lookin' girl I met at the zoo. I wonder if you know her."

She punched his side but laughed, "Well, Holly is really interesting, don't you think?" Sarcasm was dripping from her words.

"Yeah, I didn't know wearing purple and yellow nail polish meant you had psychotic tendencies." Danny chuckled and sighed, "Okay, let's go find out more about Zanetta Bradley."

"Agreed."

They worked for another two hours before looking at each other with bloodshot eyes from staring too long into the computer screen.

"I think we need to pay Zanetta Bradley a visit."

Lindsay nodded and rubbed her eyes.

* * *

Stella observed the pair from outside the room. Something weird was going on, but she couldn't quite put a finger on it yet. Knocking on the door, she entered and asked, "Mac sent me to ask how things were going."

"We don't have any real suspects yet, but there's one woman who seems to be in an occult."

"Yeah, so says the flaky roommate." Danny snorted.

Lindsay elbowed him, "You never know."

Stella frowned a little, they seemed awfully…strange. "Well?"

"We're going over to her apartment now."

Both got out of their seats and stretched.

"Okay. Good luck." Stella tilted her head slightly and walked out of the room, unable to shake off the feeling that Lindsay seemed too relaxed around Danny, and he appeared too casual. What had become of the tension between them?

* * *

They left Zanetta's house a half hour left. It turned out Holly wasn't wrong. The woman's apartment was adorned (or rather, defaced) with satanic drawings and sacrificial athames. After they had mentioned Angela's name, Zanetta went ballistic and waved a pocket knife in Lindsay's face.

Danny had moved forward to protect Lindsay but nearly got pierced by the knife. Lindsay's eyes widened and gave a swift kick to Zanetta's elbow, knocking the pocket knife across the wall. Before she could hiss and scratch at Lindsay, Danny had twisted her arms behind her back and Lindsay had slapped handcuffs across her wrists. They called Mac and breathed a sigh of relief when Zanetta was squeezed screaming and howling into the back of a NYPD car.

Mac turned around to give them both the rest of the day off, before driving back to the lab.

"I've got a hot date later, see ya." Danny said, earning himself a slap in the chest. "C'mon, let's go for lunch."

Lindsay laughed and let him sling an arm across her shoulders. Resting her head on the side of his shoulder, she spoke, "What about lunch, and then you give me the New York City tour that I haven't had."

"Okay." He chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

* * *

**Oh it's a magical thing  
When the sun is shinging down on me  
And this is such a beautiful place  
Don't wanna miss a minute of today it's  
So magical**

They had just descended the Statue of Liberty with faces flushed from the wind and hair tussled.

"Woah. That was breathtaking." Lindsay commented, clinging on to Danny's arm.

Danny smiled knowingly. She looked really cute up there, and he had never seen her so ebullient. He hadn't really been enjoying the NYC landscape; he had spent the whole time staring at her. In actual fact, Danny was amused by the fact that she had not noticed him observing her every move and expression. It was nice that they were doing something together out of work for once.

They entered Danny's car and strapped the seatbelts on.

"Where are we going now?" Lindsay asked like an over excited five year old.

"Take a nice long walk in The Village. Interested?"

She was practically bouncing in her seat, "Yeah!" Reaching over, she changed the radio channel to a country one, eliciting a groan from Danny. "Hey! It's a great channel, okay?"

* * *

Lindsay whipped her head around.

Danny turned back to see what she was looking at. "What?"

"I feel like we're being followed."

"Well, I don't see anyone suspicious." It was fairly deserted, the sky was clear and the trees were swaying slightly in the cool winter breeze.

"I'm probably being paranoid." She muttered and tugged at his sleeve, "C'mon."

Danny shrugged it off, and grinning, led Lindsay along to marvel at the sights.

* * *

"You tired yet?" He asked.

"Why? Tired?" She turned to face him and grinned.

Danny nodded, he **was** tired, they had covered almost half the city and it was near sunset.

"Aww, poor baby." Lindsay mocked and ruffled his hair teasingly.

"Argh! Not the hair!" He whined and pointed to a bench somewhere in the distant, "Go sit there, no moving about. I'm gonna get some of the best hotdogs you'll ever sink your teeth into."

She smirked and walked away from him, heading for the bench, situated in a nice private spot. Danny watched her sit before sighing happily and moved to fetch the hotdogs.

* * *


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six **

**This is no yellow brick road  
We've been traveling on  
A river of tears washed us here  
We're right where we belong**

Lindsay jumped when someone hopped in front of her. She gasped when she looked up to see who it was.

"You!" Immediately, her heart started pounding vigorously.

"Yeah, cutie!" The madman took a step closer, causing Lindsay to back into the chair. She flinched as a flicker of silver dashed past her eyes and stopped in front of her nose. He gave a terrible laughter, one that sounded as if it were trapped in his lungs and couldn't quite make it out of his mouth. Her hair stood on its ends when the wheezy chuckle flew past the one inch of air between them and into her ears.

Lindsay's head throbbed when she realized that a sharp object was pointed right in her face. "No, please." Her throat was parched.

"Saw you that day, cutie. Why didn't you kiss back?" He asked, still grinning like a deranged Cheshire cat. It was painful looking into his insane eyes, which focused, gaze unwavering, at her. She gave a silent yelp when the knife was plunged into the wooden seat of the bench.

He pressed both his hands onto the back rest of the bench, boxing Lindsay in. She felt claustrophobic when she could not see anything else but his way too hairy chest.

"Go away!" She found her voice and spoke as calmly as she could.

His face erupted into a big smirk, "Not gonna happen, cutie, you better kiss back this time" and bent down to kiss her. She struggled and he bit down on her lower lip. Hard. Lindsay thrashed in pain and he released her.

"Danny!" She screamed as loud as she could, ignoring the metallic taste of the blood that was welling up in her mouth.

"Oh, cutie. You forced me to do this." He pulled the knife, semi embedded in the wood, up and waved it crazily in her face.

Lindsay panicked, "DANNY!" before screaming again when the blade of the knife came piercing through her dress pants and deep into her thigh.

* * *

Danny had finished squeezing sauce into the hotdog when he heard Lindsay scream for him.

"Crap." He cursed and abandoned the food, throwing them into the hands of a very confused hotdog vendor.

He heard her again, this time much louder and coupled with hysteria. Hurdling over a few potted plants he dashed towards her. When he saw a rather huge man standing in front of her laughing crazily, Danny sped up and slammed himself into him.

"Lindsay!" Anger swelled in his chest when he saw the blood dripping off her chin. Raising his fist, he brought it down harshly into the back of the man's skull.

Danny got up and moved to help Lindsay.

"No!" She yelled, "Call someone to arrest him!"

He nodded and whipped out his cell phone, stepped on the back of the man and put a call to the police. His back was facing Lindsay and he failed to see the knife handle sticking out of her thigh. Work routines taking over his mind, Danny knelt down to search for an ID.

Lindsay closed her eyes tiredly and wiped the blood off her face. Her cheeks tightened in pain as she ran her tongue along her lacerated lip. There were probably a few punctures in the inside of her lip. It hurt to talk, and it hurt to close her mouth. She felt a sense of irritation realizing that she had to leave her mouth open with the blood spilling out.

Sniffing, Lindsay opened her eyes to look at her thigh. If not for the pain, she would've been thoroughly amused by the morbidity of the whole situation. There she was, sitting in The Village surrounded by picturesque scenery like an idiot with a swollen lip jutting out with a mixture of blood and saliva dripping all over her blouse. What's more? A knife was stuck in her lap, with only the black plastic handle visible. She felt amazed that it was still possible to think.

Shaking all the random thoughts away, Lindsay removed her damp fingers from her chin and prodded tenderly at the wound. _Owww. _As she pressed, more blood oozed out from the tiny gap between her flesh and the knife. _How the hell am I going to get it out of my leg?_ It was disgusting. Her pants were ruined, one leg completely drenched, and not to mention a gash in the cloth.

"Tyson Connor."

She looked up at Danny's voice.

"Driving license," He waved the card in the air before slipping it back into the wallet and turning around to face Lindsay.

Danny winced at the sight of her fat lip. "Oh God, are you alright?"

Lindsay rolled her eyes at him, stray tears streaking across her cheeks and pointed to her right thigh.

"What the hell!" He knelt down to take a closer look, "Oh my God, Montana. Does it hurt?" His question was answered when she drew her lower leg under the bench when he touched the top of the knife handle. More blood seeped from the wound into the fiber of her pants.

In the distance, they heard the police sirens wailing. Danny held her hand and looked into Lindsay's eyes. "Is this the…"

She nodded, and clenched her eyes shut when dizziness over took her. Danny placed a hand on her cheek, brushing the moisture away with his thumb.

"What did he do to your lip?"

Eyes still closed, Lindsay made a biting action, wincing when her lip throbbed.

"Eww. I'm gonna let the paramedics pull the knife out, okay? I don't want to make it worse." Danny whispered gently, squeezing her cold and wet hand.

She nodded again, opening her eyes slightly. Her right leg was shaking in pain and her mind was threatening to float away, as though if it pressed hard enough against the top of her skull, it could fly upwards.

* * *

A police car parked near them and two officers came running out.

"Mr. Messer?"

"That's me. I found an ID, the perp's name is Tyson Connor."

"Okay, I'm Officer McCain." He shook Danny's hand and shouted at his partner, "Randy! Get him into the car."

The younger man nodded eagerly and handcuffed Connor, pulling him out of unconsciousness and dragging him rather inelegantly into the police car.

"Officer, I think she needs to get to a hospital fast." Danny pulled the stray strands of hair out of Lindsay's face. She nodded empathetically.

"The paramedics should be arriving soon. In the mean time, does Miss.."

"Miss Lindsay Monroe." Danny spoke on her behalf.

"Does Miss Monroe want to make a statement."

Lindsay's eyes snapped open at the absurdity of the Officer's question. She pointed at her lip and rolled her eyes.

"I think she means she'd make the statement when she can talk." Danny squeezed her shoulders and looked straight at the Officer.

"Oh, right. I'll just..." Officer McCain walked back slowly to the cruiser sheepishly.

* * *

A/N: A little morbid, I know...  



	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven **

**You try to live your life from day to day  
But seeing you across the room tonight  
Just gives me away**

After the paramedics loaded Lindsay, who was near unconsciousness, onto a gurney and into the ambulance, Danny broke all the speed limits driving to the hospital. When he parked his car in the hospital, he recalled tossing two hotdogs back into the hand of the vendor and laughed. They would probably never go back there again. The comic moment was ephemeral. As soon as he stepped into the hospital lobby, all humorous thoughts left his mind and he questioned the receptionist about Lindsay.

The receptionist popped her bubble gum and told him to go to Ward 318. Danny nodded courteously before sprinting into an elevator just before the doors closed, earning himself reproachful looks from the crowd in it.

She was sleeping when he entered the room. A blood bag hung from the metal IV hangar, the long tube leading into her left hand. Danny kissed her temple and rubbed her arm slightly. At his touch, Lindsay moved slightly and groaned.

Danny smiled as her eyelashes fluttered and she looked blearily into his face. "Hi." He whispered lowly.

Lindsay pushed herself up and hugged him tightly. "I was so afraid he was going to kill me."

Rubbing her back, Danny chuckled, "I'm sure it takes more than one knife stuck in your leg to kill you."

She swatted at him and asked for a glass of water. When it was fetched she took a big gulp before wincing. "I hate this fat lip."

"Me too," Danny perched himself on the bed, "Except my reasons are completely selfish." He planted a firm kiss on her cheek.

"Can you call Mac for me?"

"Uh-huh. By the way, according to your chart, you had 52 stitches in your thigh. You are so staying at home tomorrow."

She pretended to sulk but he knew she was smiling from the way her eyes twinkled. Sliding back under the covers, Lindsay yawned.

"Go to sleep, I'll stay here."

Nodding, she turned to her side and shut her eyes. Danny called Mac as soon as her breathing turned slow and rhythmic.

* * *

Lindsay awoke as the chatter in her surroundings infiltrated her slumber. She struggled to open her eyes.

"She's waking up." That was Stella's voice.

"Yeah, her lip looks awful." That was Don.

Lindsay pried open her eyes, _did the whole lab come? _

"Hello." Stella ruffled Lindsay's hair. Lindsay used her arms to push herself up.

"What's everyone doing here?"

"Hi, it's great to see you too." Mac chuckled, "I heard from Danny about what happened and Stella and Don wanted to come along."

"How are you holding up?" Don asked from behind Mac's shoulder.

She smiled tiredly, the headache was killing her. "I'm fine." The typical line people in denial used.

Stella raised an eyebrow, "You sure?"

"Yeah, can I have a moment alone, please?" Lindsay closed her eyes, having so many pairs of eyes on her was uncomfortable to say the least.

Mac, Stella and Don shrugged and shuffled out in worry, but knew they couldn't do anything to change her mood. They were still clueless as to why a deranged man would stalk Lindsay with a knife and attempt to kill her.

Danny waited for them to leave before speaking, "Hey, are you okay?"

Sighing, Lindsay looked at him, "I'm fine. I need to think. Can you fill them in about Tyson?"

"You mean everything, even about Montana?"

"I don't know." She spoke and stared at him with a pained look, "Danny, I don't know."

He frowned and gave her a hug. She didn't hug back though. "I'll just go."

Lindsay closed her eyes and drew her legs towards her body. She knew she had hurt him, but she couldn't deal with everything now. When the door clicked shut, Lindsay wept the tears that she had fought back while her colleagues were in the room.

* * *

Danny shut the door and walked down the corridor to where Mac, Stella and Don were.

"What's going on?" Mac asked Danny, who looked defeated.

"Did anything on Lindsay's resume ever tell you about why she left Bozeman?"

"No, why?"

"Tyson Connor is the reason why she left." He muttered before leaning against the wall.

Stella spoke. "She told you why she moved over?"

"Yeah. But I don't know if she wants me to tell you, hell, I don't think it's even my place to say anything."

"Can you at least tell us what this guy did?" She asked gently.

"He's killed two other people who were working on the same case as she was last year. Apparently, he's followed her into New York and must've been stalking her every move in order to get so close to her and stab a knife into her leg."

"Oh, God." Don uttered after a brief period of silence.

Danny shook his head, "I've just summarized everything into two sentences, the whole story you gotta ask her."

There was a collective sigh.

"Coffee, anyone?" Mac tried to lighten the spirit.

All three nodded and trudged down to the hospital cafeteria.

* * *

Lindsay raised her chin from her knees and wiped her face with the sleeve of the hospital gown. She wasn't a religious person, but she clasped her hands together and looked up towards the ceiling of the room.

"Jason, Katie, I hope you two are at peace up there. I guess you should already know that your murderer is locked up somewhere in a cold New York jail cell. Don't worry about me, it was just a small knife, nothing compared to the bullets he used or the blade he used to hurt you. I kinda wish both of you were still here. Then I could hug and celebrate."

She sniffed. "I guess we've solved the poor girl's case now, huh? I wonder if you two are spying on my every move. Just like how we used to eavesdrop on each other's conversations in high school. New York's great. It's wonderful in its own way. I've never seen more lights ever."

"It's been such a long time since I've allowed myself to 'talk' to you. 'Cos it'll mean I'd have to think about that horrible, horrible day. But maybe I need closure. I think I'll go back home later in the year, see how the others are doing. Oh, Katie, I wish you were here, I could use a girlfriend in New York. I still love you, Jason, always will. I hope you understand that I can't spend a lifetime dwelling on things that could've been. I need to move on."

Laughing through her tears, Lindsay continued talking, "As much as I detested him when I first came to New York, I'm falling for Danny. He's a wonderful guy. I don't know if I love him just yet, but I know I care for him a lot. I hope you two are gonna be like my guardian angels. I guess one day I'll see you again. Talk to God for me."

An image of Katie twirling her blonde hair and pouting in front of a wise old man made Lindsay grin, but more tears fell onto her cheek. "I love you both. I don't regret any of the time we spent together, except I wish we had more."

She saw Stella walk past the window of her ward and spoke again. "I gotta go. Talk to you another time." The door to her ward opened and her boss and colleagues stepped in.

"Montana." Danny sighed in concern when he saw her tear streaked face.

Lindsay shook her head, "Have you told them?"

"Not the whole thing."

"In that case, why don't all of you sit down?"

"Lindsay, are you sure?"

She pushed the tears out of her face, "I hope so. I've got closure." Lindsay smiled slightly at Danny and patted the space on the bed next to her.

* * *

The whole story was finally out in the open, she had once again erupted in tears, but they were inspired by the tragedy of the situation, more than due to loss. Mac and Don were very somber after listening to Lindsay speak in a mixture of hiccups and sighs. Stella was more disgusted by the machinations of Tyson Connor, and the emotion was written clearly across her face.

"We'll make sure the son of a bitch pays for what he has done." She had spat out the sentence in contempt.

"I think it's more important that he doesn't get out of prison any time soon for obvious reasons. He's insane, I doubt he wants this of himself. As much as I want to see him pay, I don't wish him dead. If I did, how different would I be from him?" Lindsay spoke softly, resting her head against Danny's arm.

Mac smiled slightly, it was good to see his CSI wasn't raging with vengeance and still had a level head. At that moment, the doctor came in to check on Lindsay's wounds. He left as quickly as he came, informing the group that Lindsay would be able to go home that night, but was to refrain from walking excessively so the puncture could heal. After a while, the PD barged in insisting for a statement, Lindsay, growing increasingly weary, rambled quickly through her story. Officer McCain explained that Tyson Connor was in jail without any chance of bail, and that Lindsay might have to go to court against him.

She sighed, trying to let go of all the pent up negative energy. "Alright, Officer, I understand. Is there anything else you need?"

"Well, no."

"Then I just want to sign those darn discharge papers and go home."

"Uhm…" Officer McCain obviously wasn't the smartest person on Earth.

Danny stifled a laugh, "I think she means 'goodbye', Officer."

Stella snorted, and Lindsay grinned at her.

"Uhh, if there's any problem, don't hesitate to give me a call," He slipped a card to Lindsay.

"Yeah, thank you."

He fled the room, feeling thoroughly intimidated and silly. The CSIs shared a brief moment of laughter, before Lindsay signed the discharge papers with a flourish and tried to hop out of bed. She yelped when her right foot touched the ground, and was thankful that Danny had grabbed hold of her arms to prevent her from falling flat on her face. Mac, Stella and Don said their good byes and 'get well soon's before rushing off to the lab, they still had lots to do, leaving Danny and Lindsay to walk excruciatingly slow down the hospital hallway and into the elevator.

Supporting her by grabbing one of her arms tightly and wrapping his own around the back of her waist, Danny guided Lindsay to where his car was parked. When they reached her block, Lindsay blushed and asked if he would spend the night with her. Smirking, he had agreed, before opening the door for her, and entwined his fingers with hers.

* * *


	9. Epilogue

**Epilogue **

**If I could have one wish it would just be this  
That I could take you to my soul  
And show you all the love there is  
This never ending sea deep inside of me**

Lindsay woke up early, as she always had. She opened her eyes and surveyed the surroundings, the room was dark, but cold and warm at the same time. Smiling, she twisted herself and snuggled closer into Danny's body. It was no longer obfuscated. She knew exactly the way she felt for him. Love. Even though they hadn't explicitly used the 'L' word, she hoped that's what it was. She thanked the heavens above for the power to love and be loved.

Danny curled in response to her touch and sighed in his sleep. Listening to the nuances of his breathing, Lindsay traced his face with her eyes. She found beauty in every inch of it, the way his hairline arched, the way his nose bridge joined off his forehead, the way the faint creases in his face showed that he was mature despite his juvenile behavior.

* * *

She recalled how Mac had discovered their 'secret' relationship. She was doing paperwork in the office when Danny had entered and closed the door with a goofy grin. Standing behind her chair, he twirled her chair around so that she was facing him. 

She continued writing but smiled, "Danny, we're at work."

"No one's looking." He had said before pulling Lindsay up by the arms and wrapping his arms around her waist. She giggled uncontrollably when he waggled his eyebrow in exaggeration and squeezed gently. She draped both arms around his neck and let him sway her to the beat of imaginary music.

"I can't get my hands off you." Danny murmured and swooped in for a kiss. She smiled against his lips before kissing back passionately. At that exact moment, Mac opened the door. He had stood speechless, gawking at the couple, who pulled apart abruptly, letting their hands fall by their sides.

"Wow," Mac breathed, "I guess this was inevitable."

Lindsay recalled blushing furiously, and out of the corner of her eye, seeing Danny grin sheepishly.

"As long as this doesn't affect your performances, the two of you can do whatever it is you're doing now. Danny," He waved the manila folder he was holding, "Your paperwork."

Danny had awkwardly reached out to collect the folder.

"Get back to work, then." Mac raised his eyebrows before exiting the room.

They had collapsed in a fit of laughter.

* * *

She chuckled at the memory, rousing Danny from his slumber. He groaned and rolled over, pinning Lindsay under his arms. Laughing out loud, she pecked his cheek and drawled, "Good morning." 

"Hmm-mhm." He sighed into her hair and sat up, scratching his head.

She stretched and remained lying on the bed, shoving her feet into Danny's lap. He tickled, making her shriek and sit up, snatching her feet away.

"Montana?" He used the nickname that she had only pretended to hate.

"Yeah?" She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I was thinkin' about something last night."

"Oh?" He sounded too serious. She lifted her head and looked at him, tilting her head with a small frown.

Danny smiled at her, "I'm not one for all that romantic shmushy stuff you see in the movies. And I've never dated anyone for more than three months. Even while I'm seeing any girl, I don't even see her every day. But look where we are now?"

Lindsay smiled and looked at the bedspread.

"So yesterday I realized I could actually make a commitment. It feels weird. This is embarrassing, I like the smell of your hair, and the way you bite your lip when you're nervous." He flopped back down.

Blushing, Lindsay lay down and propped herself up, resting her elbows on his chest.

"I love you." Danny spoke somberly.

She couldn't control the gigantic smile that appeared on her face the second he uttered those words. "I love you too. What took you so long?"

They both laughed and once again, the rest of the world disappeared.

_Fin

* * *

_  



End file.
